The Situation of the Refugees in Covurlui County between 1939 and 1940

Abstract

The issue of the refugees was brought about both by the dissappearance of Poland in 1939 and by Romania’s territorial losses in the tragic year 1940. The whole country had to deal with it. Covurlui County and implicitly the city of Galati offered shelter to the Polish civilian refugees for many reasons. Galati became a turning point for the changing of population between USSR and Romania when Basarabia and the northern part of Bucovina were given away to the Russians. Many German ethnics who were repatriated from these territories and also from other Romanian territories were temporarily camped in Galati. Giving away the Cadrilater and the north-western part of Transylvania affected the county due to the changing of population.